Barnes said he never thought he was on the hot seat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Texas coach Rick Barnes had no direct comment on recent reports that UT athletic director Steve Patterson would grant him another year coaching the Longhorns.

Barnes said that he didn’t think or had heard his job was in jeopardy after a 16-18 season in 2012-13 where they failed to make the NCAA tournament after 14 consecutive trips with Barnes.

“Like I said before, nobody had ever told me I was on the hot seat,” Barnes said. “I trust the people at Texas that if they felt like … first of all they’ll never tell me when it’s time to go … I’ll know.”

Barnes earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors from his peers after directing the Longhorns to a 22-9 record, including an 11-7 mark in conference play that was tied for third place.

“I’m excited about these guys and never wanted the story to be about me,” Barnes said.

Barnes, who turns 60 in July, understands the mortality of the coaching after watching icons like Dean Smith, John Wooden and Bob Knight leave the profession.

“I know this, I’ve been around long enough to know that when my time is up at Texas, and I know it will be, I’ll look back and know I’ve been extremely blessed to be at the University of Texas and in this profession as long as I have been.”

After watching Larry Brown’s success this season at SMU at the age of 73, Barnes isn’t ready to commit that long to maintaining his career.

“The day when I go to the gym and don’t enjoy coaching, that’s when it’s time to quit,” Barnes said. “I do love being in the gym. I love being around players who want to work and get better. When I lose that, that’s when I know it’s time.”